Camel hydatidosis diagnostic kit: optimization of turnip and horseradish peroxidase conjugates using glutaraldehyde method

A Novel Designed Sandwich ELISA for the Detection of Echinococcus granulosus Antigen in Camels for Diagnosis of Cystic Echinococcosis

Echinococcus spp. are important cosmopolitan zoonotic parasitic tapeworms that cause a disease called hydatidosis or cystic echinococcosis (CE), which has remarkable economic losses. The objective of our study was to develop a specific IgG polyclonal antigen-based ELISA (Sandwich ELISA; capture ELISA) method for the detection of circulating Echinococcus granulosus (E. granulosus) antigens in camels infected with hydatid cysts before slaughtering and its application in serodiagnosis of CE in animals to assess the positive rate of hydatidosis in camels slaughtered in Giza governorate abattoirs in Egypt. In this study, molecular identification of Echinococcus sp. isolate was performed based on the NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1 (NAD1) gene, revealing the isolate (GenBank: OQ443068.1), which is identical to the G6 E. granulosus sensu lato genotype. The positive rate of hydatid cysts was determined in slaughtered camels' organs (n = 587). The results revealed that hydatid cysts were found in 46.5% (273/587) of the examined camels. Pulmonary echinococcosis was significantly more prevalent in the slaughtered camels (60%, 164/273) than hepatic echinococcosis (39.9%, 109/273), (p = 0.001, Chi Square = 11.081). Cyst fertility rates were higher in hepatic (90.8%, 99/109) than in pulmonary cysts (83.5%, 137/164) and the most viable protoscoleces were recorded from fertile the hepatic cysts (67.85 ± 12.78). In this study, hydatid cyst germinal layer antigen (GlAg) was isolated and used for the immunization of rabbits to raise IgG polyclonal antibodies (anti-Echinococcus GlAb IgG). These IgG polyclonal antibodies were purified by affinity chromatography using a protein A column, then labeled with horseradish peroxidase. Electrophoretic analysis of IgG polyclonal antibodies and crude GlAg was performed in 10% polyacrylamide gels. The SDS-PAGE revealed four bands at molecular weights of 77 kDa, 65 kDa, 55 kDa, and 25 kDa. The Sandwich ELISA was performed to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity and cross-reactivity of the prepared IgG polyclonal antibodies. The circulating hydatid antigen was found in 270 out of the 273 samples with hydatidosis, with a sensitivity of 98.9% (270/273), a specificity of 94.9% (296/312) and a diagnostic efficacy of 96.8%. Regarding the cross reactivity, anti-Echinococcus GlAb IgG showed a low cross-reactivity with Fasciola gigantica infected camel sera (3/8), and Myiasis (Cephalopina titillator larvae; 3/20). No cross-reactivity was recorded with uninfected camel sera (negative sera for E. granulosus), and no cross-reactivity was found with antigens of Eimeria spp., Toxoplasma gondii, Cryptosporidium sp., and Hyalomma dromedarii (ticks' infestation). Then, Sandwich ELISA was conducted again to detect E. granulosus antigen in all the collected camel sera, which resulted in a 48.7% (286/587) positive rate of CE compared to 46.5% (273/587) using a postmortem inspection (PM diagnosis) (p = 0.5, Chi Square = 0.302). In conclusion, the Sandwich ELISA technique introduced in this study appears to be a sufficiently sensitive diagnostic assay for the detection of camels' echinococcosis using anti-Echinococcus GlAb IgG. In addition, it might offer a significant medical and veterinary importance in helping the early detection of hydatidosis, as well as its early treatment.

Decolorization of dye effluents via immobilized glycoprotein peroxidase on post-consumer polystyrene foam

Development of sustainable approaches to manage industrial wastes such as plastic waste and dye effluents is a major research endeavor, owing to escalating environmental and health concerns arising from discharge of such wastes into water bodies. In this context, this study aims to convert packaging waste of expanded polystyrene foam (EPS) into effective biocatalyst for enzymatic degradation of dye effluent. Briefly, crushed EPS were decorated with amine groups via chlorosulfonation followed by conjugation of branched polyethylenimine. Carbohydrate rich turnip peroxidase (TPOD) was purified to homogeneity from Brassic rapa roots followed by periodate oxidation to introduce reactive dialdehyde groups. Such oxidized TPOD glycoprotein was covalently immobilized on aminated EPS through Schiff base formation. Immobilized TPOD exposed noticeable tolerance toward elevated temperatures (80 °C) that qualifies it as viable biocatalyst for decolorization of dye effluents that is frequently hot. Indeed, immobilized TPOD could successfully decolorize methyl orange (90 %) and crystal violet (96 %) within 2 h. Due to the floating nature of EPS, the immobilized TPOD was simply separated by skimming and reused in fifteen subsequent catalytic cycles. Ultimately, this work demonstrates the conversion of post-consumer EPS into a value-added biocatalyst for the ecofriendly enzymatic treatment of dye effluents.

Immobilization of Low-Cost Alternative Vegetable Peroxidase (Raphanus sativus L. peroxidase): Choice of Support/Technique and Characterization

In the present work the radish (Raphanus sativus L.) was used as the low-cost alternative source of peroxidase. The enzyme was immobilized in different supports: coconut fiber (CF), calcium alginate microspheres (CAMs) and silica SBA-15/albumin hybrid (HB). Physical adsorption (PA) and covalent binding (CB) as immobilization techniques were evaluated. Immobilized biocatalysts (IBs) obtained were physicochemical and morphologically characterized by SEM, FTIR and TGA. Also, optimum pH/temperature and operational stability were determined. For all supports, the immobilization by covalent binding provided the higher immobilization efficiencies-immobilization yield (IY%) of 89.99 ± 0.38% and 77.74 ± 0.42% for HB and CF, respectively. For CAMs the activity recovery (AR) was of 11.83 ± 0.68%. All IBs showed optimum pH at 6.0. Regarding optimum temperature of the biocatalysts, HB-CB and CAM-CB maintained the original optimum temperature of the free enzyme (40 °C). HB-CB showed higher operational stability, maintaining around 65% of the initial activity after four consecutive cycles. SEM, FTIR and TGA results suggest the enzyme presence on the IBs. Radish peroxidase immobilized on HB support by covalent binding is promising in future biotechnological applications.